The first ever furry is about to go into space

AVID gardeners know how frustrating it can be to find all your hard work destroyed by hungry snails, rats and caterpillars. Luckily, experts from Gardeners' World have shared their top tips on keeping these pesky pests away from the green space, The Express reported . As annoying as we might find them, Gardeners’ World said it is crucial to remember that all pests are part of the ecosystem and food chain, as many are a source of food for birds and other wildlife. However, for gardeners who are experiencing damage to their green space and crops, there are a few ways to control them. SLUGS AND SNAILS “Slugs and snails are most gardeners’ enemy number one. “The tender leaves of seedlings and fresh new growth on established garden plants are magnets for molluscs, which make holes in leaves and leave tell-tale trails of slime. read more gardening stories GOING GREEN I'm a gardening expert – here's how to turn your yard into a vegetable … [Read more...] about I’m a gardening whizz… my 20p hack stops snails, rats and caterpillars ruining your space

What struck me about the weekend's Champions Cup semi-finals was the way in which the styles of Leinster and the three French sides that contested the Champions Cup semi-finals are redolent of their national teams. It suggests that there is unity of purpose between country and clubs and that makes the transition from one to the other smoother and quicker. When you look at England and the English Premiership there is little or no communality and has not been since the ‘Saracens-style’ that came because so many of their players were first choice internationals. Does this matter? Not necessarily if both are flourishing but in the case of England it does show that their players are having to alter their accustomed styles to fit in with different systems and philosophies. This takes time and is not a certainty – has Eddie Jones got that time before the World Cup? It must be open to doubt. It did not take the wisdom of Solomon to identify Leinster as the team to beat in the European … [Read more...] about French and Irish clubs have a national identity that the English lack

Saracens 38 Exeter Chiefs 22 Mark McCall hailed a “phenomenal” performance from Owen Farrell as Saracens piled up 28 second-half points to surge past Exeter Chiefs, securing themselves a semi-final spot and leaving their opponents in grave danger of missing the top four. In just his fourth match since last November, Farrell spurred his team’s response to a poor second quarter that saw them trail 15-10. He kicked 18 points to complement tries for Elliot Daly, Sean Maitland, Nick Tompkins and Ben Earl, the red-hot back-rower. Chiefs were willing, but ultimately overwhelmed. “His passing and his kicking and his offloads – all of that was phenomenal, really,” McCall said of Farrell. “Emotionally, he was incredible, and drove the comeback. “I don’t think he feels he’s quite on top of his game because he hasn’t played much recently, but he looked OK to me today. He’s going to get better, I think.” This was a depleted Exeter, who had made an intriguing selection call by preferring … [Read more...] about Owen Farrell inspired Saracens secure play-off spot with second-half surge against Exeter Chiefs

As this Six Nations keeps demonstrating, fortunes can turn on an instant in Test-match rugby. A whole year, therefore, can feel like an aeon. Twelve months ago, Ireland had just beaten Italy after losing their first two matches of the tournament to Wales and then France. The common thread of those defeats had been their disjointed, inaccurate attack. Before racking up 48 points in Rome, Mike Catt had spoken about the need to “nail what you create” because Ireland “probably could have scored two or three tries” more against Wales and France. Sound familiar? Ireland were in the midst of a tactical evolution, striving to become more fluid and unpredictable in possession following an inconsistent 2020 shaped by two bruising losses at Twickenham. Their efforts were not yielding rewards on the scoreboard. Eddie Jones wants England to pose similarly varied threats, but there have been growing pains . Last week, from a training camp in Bristol, Harry Randall insisted that his … [Read more...] about Harry Randall insists England attack ‘very close to clicking’ as they strive to emulate Ireland evolution

Jamie George possesses one of rugby union’s widest grins and seems to be a genial chap. Although he would be forgiven for being a touch biased towards a team-mate of over a decade, his opinion on Owen Farrell is unequivocal. “He is one of the best players that has ever played the game,” said the Saracens hooker of his skipper following Sunday’s 38-22 victory over Exeter Chiefs at StoneX Stadium . “Some of the criticism he gets, I can never get my head around. Come down to Saracens every week and watch him play. He is the very reason why we have won as much as we have.” Farrell kicked 18 points at the weekend, a haul that included a long-range penalty that bounced over the crossbar via the right-hand post. But there were encouraging signs in the rest of his game, too. A couple of flicked offloads either side of half-time complemented a sharp break in the build-up to Sean Maitland’s try as the hosts scrubbed out a 15-10 deficit, landing a bonus-point and securing a … [Read more...] about Owen Farrell hailed as ‘one of the best players that has ever played the game’

Over recent years, international teams have been rewarded for concerning themselves with ceilings rather than flaws when it comes to the selection of their wings. Cheslin Kolbe, whose size was questioned throughout his formative years in South Africa, became a hot-stepping star of the Springboks’ glorious World Cup victory in 2019 . Gabin Villière of France, another diminutive dynamo , was a stand-out of the Grand Slam campaign. Both have a grounding in sevens, which hones breakdown skills as well as footwork, passing and composure in open space. They are now Toulon teammates and, though Kolbe is sidelined with a fractured thumb, Villière defied three would-be tacklers to finish a remarkable, match-winning try against Toulouse at the weekend: Mack Hansen only needed half a season with Connacht – albeit one spent compiling a blockbuster highlight reel – to convince Andy Farrell that he was worth a punt in Ireland’s starting line-up for the Six Nations . That trust … [Read more...] about Adam Radwan proves why England need to focus on what players can do – not what they cannot

Who coaches the coaches? The question is critical to the future of any sport. By the reckoning of Jamie Taylor, who has worked across a vast array of disciplines from football to skateboarding, rugby union’s very nature makes that especially important. “I think rugby union is one of the most difficult places to coach,” he says. ”If you think about cricket, for example, you have individuals who work in a team but are not that interdependent. “In rugby union, you have a massive variety of different people with different needs. And they are very interdependent.” With that rather daunting thought in mind, fans of the 15-a-side code should be encouraged by one of Taylor’s recent pursuits with Mike Ashford and Dave Collins, his colleagues at Grey Matters, the performance consultancy. He is supporting coaches as they sharpen their tools together. Figures from elite teams around Europe are part of his programme, which comprises regular sessions. He visits clubs to observe these … [Read more...] about Inside the network helping Premiership coaches hone their craft and break down rugby’s fads

England’s Red Roses sit atop the world and secured another Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam in the febrile atmosphere of a baying Bayonne crowd on Saturday, and it was no more than they deserved. After a campaign that saw them sweep away every other opponent , it showed how far behind the other Unions have allowed their women’s rugby to languish without committing to the professional setup established by the Rugby Football Union. Let us get this out of the way. It is no fault of anyone involved with the Red Roses that their opponents have simply not been good enough, bar the French, to mount anything like a serious challenge to England on the field. Wales have started to address the situation, and the Celtic unions have the money, they just have not bothered to act timeously, or at all in some cases. The problem is that even if they acted tomorrow, it will be at least three years before the effects of a professional structure come to fruition and in that time England should … [Read more...] about England’s celtic rivals should be embarrassed but Simon Middleton’s side still have to improve

Leicester 56 Bristol 26 Chris Ashton smashed the Premiership try-scoring record as Leicester booked themselves a home play-off semi-final and showed their readiness for challenges to come in Europe. The veteran winger scored three times in 24 first-half minutes to notch up yet another landmark as Tigers utterly dominated Bristol. Ashton scored his first Premiership try, for Northampton against Wasps, in 2008 and number 93 came after three minutes here. Numbers 94 and 95 swiftly followed as he showed his appetite for scoring remains undimmed. The winger leapfrogged Tom Varndell, the former Leicester, Wasps and Bristol wing, to top the scoring charts and can add that 95 to 20 for England, in 44 caps, and another record breaking 24 in the French Top 14 with Toulon in 2017-18. Ashton is also the top try scorer in the Champions Cup, with 40 for Northampton, Saracens, Toulon and Sale, and his efforts helped tee up next week’s home European quarter-final against Leinster on … [Read more...] about Chris Ashton rolls back the years to break Premiership try-scoring record in Leicester Tigers rout

Records tumbled and scoreboards whirred during round 24 of the regular Premiership schedule. Domestic competition now takes a two-week break for Europe. And just as well. We need to get our breath back. 15. Max Malins, Saracens Back in his preferred position, if only temporarily, Malins bagged four tries at Sixways to bring his tally for the Premiership season to a chart-topping 15. He cut incisive angles and showed sharp pace. Huw Jones, George Furbank, Santiago Carreras and Freddie Steward shone before Henry Arundell’s stunning cameo on Sunday. 14. Chris Ashton, Leicester Tigers Three contrasting tries comprised the hat-trick that gives Ashton some breathing space at the top of the all-time list of Premiership finishers. His swerving support line behind Ben Youngs completed the treble in style. Louis Rees-Zammit and Francois Hougaard are unlucky. 13. Matías Moroni, Leicester Tigers Again, there was a queue for this position. Joe Marchant’s jumping flick to set up Huw … [Read more...] about Premiership team of the weekend: Chris Ashton leads trio of Leicester Tigers in all-star XV